IEE in the News

IEE faculty, fellows, staff, and projects in the news

Margarita López-Uribe awarded Nancy and John Steimer Professorship

| psu.edu

Margarita López-Uribe, previously the Lorenzo L. Langstroth Early Career Professor, has been awarded the Nancy and John Steimer Professorship in Agricultural Sciences.

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AI data center workshop discusses strategies for resilient energy production

| psu.edu

Penn State’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Institute of Energy and the Environment recently hosted the AI Data Center Integration to Power Grids Workshop at the Engineering Collaborative Research and Education Building on the University Park campus.

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Summer training helps student sharpen climate change research goals

| psu.edu

For Sierra Hill, a recent trip to Indiana helped bring the next phase of a climate science career into focus. Hill, a master’s degree student in the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, spent two weeks at FluxCourse, an intensive training program focused on measurement, synthesis and modeling of land-atmosphere carbon, water and energy fluxes. The course helps participants track how things like carbon move through the environment.

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Engineering alumni society recognizes excellence at 2026 awards ceremony

| psu.edu

The Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS) held its annual awards ceremony on June 12 at the State Theatre, continuing its 54-year tradition of honoring excellence among engineering faculty, staff and alumni through the PSEAS awards. The award recipients were recognized in the categories of teaching, research, advising and service.

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Penn State Master Gardeners to share gardening expertise at Ag Progress Days

| psu.edu

Whether diagnosing plant problems, identifying insects or planning a landscape, Penn State Extension Master Gardeners can help visitors tackle gardening questions with research-based advice in the Yard and Garden Area during Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, Aug. 11-13, at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs.

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Plastic bottles could fuel EVs, reveals new study

| republicworld.com

Researchers have discovered a way to transform plastic bottles into highly ordered synthetic graphite, a critical material for lithium-ion batteries. The breakthrough could turn one of the world’s most common waste streams into a valuable resource for clean energy technologies.

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Unmedicated women with depression do not tolerate heat as well as those on SSRIs

| psu.edu

Women with clinical depression who take a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication may be better able to withstand extreme heat compared to those who do not take antidepressant medications, according to a new study by Penn State researchers.

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Ask an expert: Are data centers driving up my electricity bills?

| psu.edu

According to Hannah Wiseman, professor of law at Penn State Dickinson Law, homeowners may be in for a shock when they pay their power bills at the end of this month, and not just because of an uptick in air conditioning to stay cool during a record-breaking heatwave. In the following Q&A, Wiseman discussed why data centers use so much power, whether they fare worse in the summertime and what impacted communities or individuals can do to voice their concerns. 

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Data center supporters and critics argue over future in Pittsburgh area

| cbsnews.com

There are several data centers on the drawing boards in southwestern Pennsylvania, raising concerns about noise and pollution.

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Penn State Data Commons powers two decades of open science

For more than two decades, the Penn State Data Commons has expanded from an early faculty-led effort to openly share research data into a University-wide repository and support system that now serves nearly 300 faculty members across nine colleges and supported 70 research projects in 2025.

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As a heat wave grips the U.S., a look at how extreme heat affects the body

| npr.org

As heat waves sweep the country, NPR's A Martinez asks W. Larry Kenney, professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State University, how extreme heat affects humans.

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‘Growing Impact’ podcast discusses tool to identify grid threats, investments

A new planning tool under development at Penn State could help keep the lights on as the U.S. electric grid faces growing pressures from extreme weather, renewable energy and data centers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

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